Keeping On The Rails

 

So I know a lot of people are super anxious today and I am just going to give my two cents.  No matter what happens with regard to the pandemic, your family, the election,  natural disasters, your health, or anything else that we are all experiencing (and certainly not to take away from any of it) but we all need to breathe.  We need to figure out a way to cope.  My way to cope is to accomplish at least one thing every single day.  Somedays this is as simple as taking the dog out (one less time hubby has to do on those days when I am feeling crappy).  If I have zero energy sometimes what I accomplish is in the electronic world like placing a grocery order or doing some company paperwork.  Some days the project is much bigger. 

On Sundays, after my Tuesday treatments, I am starting to feel like a human again (about 40%).  Yesterday that meant putting together the tree we will be using for this holiday season to see if it will work and how many lights we need to buy.  I have always wanted a bigger tree - our last tree is about 18 years old and its lights are finally starting to fail on a string by string basis.   It was a 6.5-foot tree and in a pinch is still in the crawl space to be used.  I've always packed it full of my vintage Christmas glass collection as well as all the family ornaments.  This year back in August hubby and I decided we wanted a bigger tree. 

Let's just say the same instructions were used for 3 different models and they didn't make sense.  So I started logically from top-down and got it done (after a few reworks and the odd swear word).

I bought a 7.5 ft one on our Facebook bidding site for $25.  It had never been used and had no weird smell.  Why had it never been used?  It's the kind that you have to put one branch on at a time.  Yes, we could rush out and spend $300 on a large tree but that just isn't us and I definitely didn't want the hassle of investing a prelit tree only for it to die a year or two later.  It took me 2 hours and it is mostly done although needs some major FLOUFING and lights you can get the idea.  Nice and full and makes use of our 9 and 10-foot ceilings. I felt a major accomplishment.  Hubby did end up having to vacuum up all the leftover bits on the floor (thank you again) but one more thing on the gigantic list of things to make sure we have a lovely holiday has been done.  The reason we are starting so early is that we have several unknown dates circling our heads and one must do something in the meantime to keep sane.

We will buy some lights this week and then maybe next weekend it will be decorated - no set agenda at this point.

You can also see in the picture above that this summer before I had surgery I was bound and determined to finish painting the ceiling tray after that was almost all that was left of the entire house paint that we started in 2019.  There was zero chance I was going to leave it and have to look at two different paint colors all winter and hubby just can't do the high detail work like I can.  So we rented a ladder and I got it done, feeling much accomplished back in early August.  Frankly, it was easier to do than I originally thought so we had procrastinated about painting that bit last.  

We do have most of the Christmas shopping complete.  We found the softest blanket ever at Costco (don't judge me, I shop local plenty too, overpaid for Chinese food at our cash-only close at 3pm Chinese takeaway so I could support it the other day) for ourselves and quickly realized we wanted to buy one for every person we love. 

 So every kid and spouse and my Mom all are getting these for Christmas.  And yes, we are paying the bloody postage to make it happen.  There just may be nuts and chocolate treats too in their boxes too along with other goodies.  If we can't be with them at least everyone will have the same wonderful soft warm loved feeling this Christmas from us.  Plus we always give a small cash gift to each of them which I am sure is appreciated this year.  We are so lucky that financially we can help all of them if they need it - but none have needed to ask and are doing ok so far.  

My oldest stepson is working for 3 charitable homeless shelters in Ottawa, a COVID hotbed, and is undergoing his 4th covid test. Unfortunately, the virus is circulating among the workers more than the clients so there is a seemingly endless stream of tests for them to endure, much like healthcare workers.  He and his beautiful fiancee were supposed to fly here at Christmas but due to the pandemic and my situation that just isn't a possibility.  He is supposed to fly to his Mother's in Alberta but that is up in the air now too - but he is an adult of almost 30 and those are his decisions to make, not ours.    

For now, we live each day in our household acknowledging the good fortunes of that day - that might mean that a little hummingbird blessed us with an appearance.  It might mean that Buddy had a super good walk with his Dad and is passed out in a "couldn't be any cuter moment".  It doesn't mean that every day is great or even good.  It just means we all need to get on with it.

So if you are stressed today please look around in your world for the good things.  They usually are right in front of your face waiting to be recognized.  And BREATHE!